Additional running routes should open up the passing game

Published 5:30 am, Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Houston Texans tight end Jeb Putzier and the other tight ends hope thier running routes will open up the passing game this season.

Houston Texans tight end Jeb Putzier and the other tight ends hope thier running routes will open up the passing game this season.

Photo: Mayra Beltran, Chronicle File

Texans tight ends get involved

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The difference was evident on the first day of practice this offseason. On a routine passing play, veteran tight end Mark Bruener was spotted about 10 yards down the field and was looking for the ball.

Quarterback David Carr connected with him on the pass, and then they laughed.

"I've gotten in trouble — illegal man downfield," Bruener said.

Bruener, who is entering his 12th season, is known for his blocking. He has 143 career receptions — just six of which have come since he joined the Texans in 2004.

Last season, Bruener arguably had his best season blocking in the NFL. But his role will expand this season.

With a slew of tight ends in minicamp — including Bruener, former Bronco Jeb Putzier, Bennie Joppru and rookie Owen Daniels — the Texans are showing a glimpse of what will be a theme all season.

Problems for coverage

"If you can get a tight end involved, it opens up the passing game," Carr said. "We hit a couple of plays downfield just because the tight end was involved in the route and took up a couple of guys on coverage."

The tight ends will be critical this season, with the Texans hoping their involvement will open opportunities for receivers Eric Moulds and Andre Johnson.

Training camp will be as competitive at tight end as anywhere on the team. Bruener is a physical, veteran leader. Putzier has considerable experience at receiver. Don't count out Joppru either, despite the fact that the 2003 second-round draft pick is still waiting to make his Texans debut.

"I've been very impressed, and it doesn't surprise me because if I had to tell you the one player who is the first one here in the morning and the last one to leave in the evening, it's that kid," Kubiak said. "He's very dedicated to what he does. When that stuff happens to you in your career you kind of find out how important football is to you, and I think that's what's happened to him. Hopefully, he'll stay in one piece and make the adjustments."

Putzier, 27, is the only one having to make only minor adjustments to his game. After spending the past four seasons in the same system under Kubiak with the Broncos, Putzier spends most of his time in practice trying to help teammates.

"The tight ends, the fullbacks, the receivers — they all come to me," Putzier said. "They usually understand what they're doing, but sometimes they don't understand why.

"So I help them out and let them know what they're helping when they're doing it and why they have to get into certain spaces when they're on the field, and what they're going to open up for everybody else."

New role for Bruener

Bruener, 33, hasn't hesitated to lean on Putzier. Bruener has worked on his receiving skills each season, but the focus is on his hands now more than ever.

"In all honesty, I'm enjoying this new role," Bruener said. "Let's be real here, you're not going to see me down there all the time. But the system we're in here, they want to utilize both tight ends in the passing game. It's my job to develop the confidence in the coaches as well as the quarterbacks that I can be a receiving threat."

Texans Summary

Hard work earns break

After a successful mini-camp last week, coach
Gary Kubiak
decided to be cautious with the players this week.

He held a session without helmets Monday and will have a short practice at the last day of minicamp today.

Kubiak canceled Wednesday's practice.

"I want to make sure we're all healthy when we walk out of here tomorrow," Kubiak
said. "So we took our helmets off, but we still got a lot done."

The team has practiced four to five days a week since May 16 and will begin their summer break after today's workout. They don't report again until training camp starts July 27.

"In the past month, I think we learned to practice without pads, which is important because I want to be able to do that," Kubiak said. "They learned how to meet, how to come out here and be ready to practice. They understand
our tempo, the way we tax them mentally when we practice.

"I think they responded well. Now, the key is that we can't start over again when we come back July 27. We have to start where we left off."

Davis' knee not cooperating

Despite coach
Gary Kubiak's
hope that running back
Domanick Davis
would participate in minicamp, Davis' left knee didn't allow it. Kubiak said the next month will be important for Davis and
Travis Johnson
, who has a calf strain.

"When (Davis) went through a couple of the walk throughs (last week), his knee did swell up on him a little bit," Kubiak said. "It's not important right now that he's ready to play today, so we'll be smart with him.

"We know where Domanick stands and where Travis stands. They have a lot of work, more so than their teammates in the next month to get them ready to play."